End closure for air cell



March 20, 1962 B. E. CURRAN END CLOSURE FOR AIR CELL Filed Oct. 9, 1959 IN V EN TOR.

BERNARD E. CURRAN /0& KZ/

T ORNEY United States Patent Ofiflce 3,025,883 Patented Mar. 20, 1982 3,025,883 END CLOSURE FOR AIR CELL Bernard E. Curran, Sewickley, Pa., assignor to H. H. Robertson Company Filed Oct. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 845,366 1 Claim. (Cl. 138-89) This invention relates to an end closure for use in an air carrying floor cell of the type employed as flooring in a building.

Cellular metal flooring has been employed in the building trade for many years to provide a bottom support for poured concrete flooring and also to provide accessibility to the flooring cells for their utilization as electrical raceways. More recently certain selected flooring cells have been employed as air carrying passageways for building ventilation. US. Patent 2,729,429, R. P. Goemann; U.S. Patent 2,877,990, R. P. Goemann; US. Patents 2,883,111 and 2,898,044, B. E. Curran and G. E. Kautz.

In general, the flooring cells selected for use as air carrying passageways are wider than the flooring cells which are used as electrical raceways. In addition, the flooring cells selected for use as air carrying passageways possess a vapor-tight construction to prevent leakage of the conditioned air.

Cellular flooring generally is formed from two channel shaped elements having lateral flanges. The two elements are secured along their lateral flanges usually by continuous welding whereby the two open channels join to form the air carrying cell.

Because of the requirement that air carrying cells be vapor-tight, the sealing of terminal portions of any air carrying cell has, in the past, presented problems. Hitherto such air carrying cells have been cut to length and plugged with a suitably shaped metal closure prior to erection in the building. Thus access to the plugged air cell passageway was denied to the construction workers when the floor cell was assembled into the building.

The present invention provides a terminal closure for an air carrying floor cell which can be quickly assembled and removed (if required) after the air carrying floor cell is assembled into a building during construction activity. Thus access to the end portions of any air carrying cell is available at all times during the building construction prior to the pouring of the concrete flooring.

The object of the present invention is to provide an end closure for an air carrying floor cell which is inexpensive to fabricate, easy to install and remove, and vapor-tight in its sealing characteristics.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective illustration of an end portion of a cellular metal flooring element adapted to convey conditioned air and showing the end closure element of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section illustration taken along the center line of the air carrying cell of FIGURE 1 showing the end closure element of FIGURE 1 in assembled position.

As shown in FIGURE 1, a typical 'air carrying floor cell includes an upper element 11 and a lower element 12, formed from sheet metal. The upper element 11 has a base 13, side walls 14, terminal flanges 15 and, usually end connectors in the form of a male flange 16 and a corresponding female flange 17. The end connectors are employed in an interlocking manner when the air cell is assembled into a building structure.

The lower element 12 includes a base 18, side walls 19 and terminal flanges 20. The top element 11 and the bottom element 12 are secured together by a vapor-tight fastening along and between the terminal flanges 15 and 20. Preferably a continuous weld is provided along and between the terminal flanges 15 and 20.

At the terminal end of the floor cell 10, the upper element 11 is out along one transverse plane and the bottom element 12 is cut along a second transverse plane whereby the end portion of the upper element 11 is recessed by a distance of about one-half to three inches.

A vapor-tight sealant 21 is applied to the end portions of the floor cell 10 which are upwardly exposed. That is, the sealant 21 is applied over outer surface of the base 13 and side walls 14, the upper surface of the flanges 15, the upper surface of the flanges 20, and the inner surfaces of the base 18 and side walls 19.

The sealant 21 may comprise natural or synthetic materials such as asphalts, bitumens, natural and synthetic rubber, plastic compounds et cetera.

An end closure 22 according to the present invention is positioned over the exposed floor cell 10 as will be described.

The end closure 22 includes a vertical plate 23 having a shape corresponding to the opening in the floor cell 10. A top flange 24 extends from the vertical plate 23 and is adapted to overlie the outer surface of the base 13. A horizontal flange 25 extends from the vertical plate 23 and is adapted to overlie the inner surface of the base 18. Upper side walls 26 join the top flange 24 1 and the vertical plate 23 and are adapted to overlie the outer surfaces of the side walls 14. Side walls 27 join the bottom flange 25 and the vertical plate 23 and are adapted to overlie the inner surfaces of the side walls 19.

Lateral flanges 28 extend horizontally from the side walls 26 and are adapted to overlie the exposed upper surface of the terminal flanges 15. Lateral flanges 29 extend horizontally from the side walls 27 and are adapted to overlie the exposed upper surface of the terminal flanges 20. The lateral flanges 28 and 29 form a continuous surface having an offset fold 30 at their juncture. Thus the lateral flange 28 is elevated above the lateral flange 29 by the thickness of the metal forming the terminal flanges 15.

Screw receiving openings 31 are provided in the lateral flanges 29 and the terminal flanges 20 to receive a selftapping metal screw 32. Screw receiving openings 34 are provided in the top flange 24 and 35 in the base 13 to receive a self-tapping metal screw 36.

As will be apparent from inspection of the drawings, a continuous sealant 21 is compressed between the end closure 22 and the terminal portions of the floor cell 10. The closure 22 can be aflixed after the floor cell 10 has been installed in the building framework by merely applying the sealant 21 and the metal screws 33 and 36. If at any time before the concrete flooring is poured in the building it is desired to gain access to the interior of the floor cell 10, removal of the screws 33 and 36 Will permit such access.

The closure 22 may be fabricated by die casting or metal punching as desired.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle, preferred embodiment and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claim, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

An end closure for a metallic floor cell formed from two shaped metal elements including a bottom element and a top element each including a base, side walls and terminal flanges, the said base and said side walls of the elements forming a channel and said floor cell terminating along two transverse planes one of Which cuts said bottom element and the other of which cuts said top element whereby said bottom element extends beyond the end of said top element: said end closure having a flat vertical plate adapted to correspond to both said channels, a top flange adapted to overlie the outer surface of the base of said top element, a bottom flange adapted to overlie the base of said bottom element, lateral flanges extending from said plate adapted to overlie the side Walls of said top element, lateral flanges extending from said plate adapted to overlie the side walls of said bottom element, a horizontal flange extending from each of said lateral flanges adapted to overlie the said terminal flanges of said top element and said bottom element, the adjoining lateral flanges being continuous and being offset whereby that lateral flange overlying the terminal flange of said top element is displaced above that terminal flange overlying the terminal flange of said bottom element by the thickness of said terminal flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 878,014 OToole Feb. 4, 1908 2,729,429 Goemann Jan. 3, 1956 2,934,184 Moser Apr. 26, 1960 

